Highways are busier than ever and that means the chance of being hit by another driver is higher, too. Car accidents can cause terrible injuries and they can hit the pocket as well as cause pain and stress. If you believe that you can provide evidence that another driver was responsible for your injuries you have the chance to claim compensation.
If the other driver was a government employee or the injury was caused by faulty government work, vehicle maintenance or buildings, then you may still be allowed to sue the city government, but the process is slower and more complicated. You should talk to a personal injury attorney before submitting a claim against a government entity.
City and State Laws Regarding Government Personal Injury Claims
Fortunately, Texas, like many other states, has made it easier for a member of the public to claim compensation in cases where a negligent government employee or agency has caused an injury.
The claim must be accompanied by sufficient relevant information that identifies you, the injured party, as well as the nature of the injury, where, when and how the accident took place and what justification you have for claiming that it was the fault of the city or state.
You will receive a response accepting the claim or rejecting it after the accident has been investigated. If your claim is rejected, or you do not receive a response, you may then be able to file a personal injury claim. The information you use for the notice of claim can be used for the personal injury claim.
Potential Causes of Car Accidents
Most car accidents are caused by private individuals driving badly or recklessly. However, a minority of car accidents are the fault of government employees or departments. Some of these are due to dangerous road conditions which have developed through lack of normal road maintenance. Others are due to a failure in government owned structures, such as bridges and buildings. Most are due to a collision with a government owned vehicle. Most city and state government departments have at least one, usually more vehicles at their disposal. Any of these, when driven badly could cause an accident. Of all car accidents involving government property, the most common are collisions with city buses.
Accidents involving a City Bus
Bus accidents are sometimes due to sudden malfunctions in the working parts of a bus. Catastrophic failures in the steering mechanism and brakes can cause unexpected accidents. Some accidents may be due to the driver’s avoidance reaction to a third party driver or road conditions. Bus drivers may be distracted, intoxicated, insufficiently trained, too tired to drive safely, fail to signal correctly or obey road rules. Whatever the reason, for a personal injury claim to succeed, it must still be shown that the driver behaved in a negligent manner and the negligence caused your injuries.
Use an Experienced Attorney if Considering Claiming Against the City
All personal injury claims can be difficult to pursue all by yourself, unless the circumstances are absolutely clear-cut. Claims against a city government, like Corpus Christi, or against a state or the federal government are not advisable to pursue without professional legal help. Talk to an experienced personal injury attorney who has had experience handling claims against a government entity before submitting a claim of this type.
Additional Resources
Auto Accident Resources in Corpus Christi
Driving Laws in Texas
Disclaimer
The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against the city of Corpus Christi, or the state government of Texas, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
